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Gender Makes a Difference: Investigating Consumer Purchasing Behavior and Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility Policies

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  • Raymond J. Jones
  • Timothy M. Reilly
  • Marcus Z. Cox
  • Brooklyn M. Cole

Abstract

The balance between profit maximization and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a strategic issue of considerable importance. A key factor in understanding this relationship is identifying consumer reactions to engaging in CSR. Prior literature suggests a gap between consumers' environmental attitudes and behaviors. This study examines this relationship and finds evidence that gender significantly influences this gap between attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, we find that for female segments of the consumer population, this gap is greatly reduced. We use social identity theory to explain this phenomenon of gender differences as they relate to CSR. Along with providing insight to CSR at the individual level with attitudes and behaviors, our findings also have implications at the firm‐ level for how organizations choose and strategically signal their CSR strategies toward specific consumer segments. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Suggested Citation

  • Raymond J. Jones & Timothy M. Reilly & Marcus Z. Cox & Brooklyn M. Cole, 2017. "Gender Makes a Difference: Investigating Consumer Purchasing Behavior and Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility Policies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(2), pages 133-144, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:24:y:2017:i:2:p:133-144
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.1401
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    4. Petra Šánová & Jitka Svobodová & Adriana Laputková, 2017. "Using Multiple Correspondence Analysis to Evaluate Selected Aspects of Behaviour of Consumers Purchasing Local Food Products," Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, Mendel University Press, vol. 65(6), pages 2083-2093.
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    9. Alessandra De Chiara, 2020. "Sustainable Business Model Innovation vs. “Made in” for International Performance of Italian Food Companies," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Barkemeyer, Ralf & Young, C. William & Chintakayala, Phani Kumar & Owen, Anne, 2023. "Eco-labels, conspicuous conservation and moral licensing: An indirect behavioural rebound effect," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).
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    14. Wenhao Song & Shengce Ren & Jun Yu, 2019. "Bridging the gap between corporate social responsibility and new green product success: The role of green organizational identity," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 88-97, January.
    15. Phani Kumar Chintakayala & William Young & Ralf Barkemeyer & Michelle A. Morris, 2018. "Breaking niche sustainable products into the mainstream: Organic milk and free‐range eggs," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(7), pages 1039-1051, November.
    16. Percy Marquina & Vincent Charles, 2021. "A Bayesian resampling approach to estimate the difference in effect sizes in consumer social responses to CSR initiatives versus corporate abilities," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1680-1699, November.
    17. Michele Siri & Shanshan Zhu, 2019. "Will the EU Commission Successfully Integrate Sustainability Risks and Factors in the Investor Protection Regime? A Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-23, November.
    18. Constanza Bianchi & Valentina Reyes & Veronica Devenin, 2020. "Consumer motivations to purchase from benefit corporations (B Corps)," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3), pages 1445-1453, May.
    19. Vera Gelashvili & Juan-Gabriel Martínez-Navalón & José Ramón Saura, 2021. "Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to Measure the Moderating Effect of Gender: An Empirical Study," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(24), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Esra Alniacik & Charefeddine Moumen & Umit Alniacik, 2020. "The moderating role of personal value orientation on the links between perceived corporate social performance and purchase intentions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2724-2734, November.
    21. Pilar Fernández‐Ferrín & Sandra Castro‐González & Belén Bande, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility, emotions, and consumer loyalty in the food retail context: Exploring the moderating effect of regional identity," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(2), pages 648-666, March.
    22. Yingyan Wang, 2018. "Commitment to sustainable development: Exploring the factors affecting employee attitudes towards corporate social responsibility‐oriented management," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(6), pages 1284-1292, November.
    23. Yong Liu & Qian Xu & Zhi‐yang Liu, 2020. "A coordination mechanism through value‐added profit distribution in a supply chain considering corporate social responsibility," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(4), pages 586-598, June.
    24. Marco Lerro & Riccardo Vecchio & Francesco Caracciolo & Stefano Pascucci & Luigi Cembalo, 2018. "Consumers' heterogeneous preferences for corporate social responsibility in the food industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(6), pages 1050-1061, November.
    25. Proikaki, Marina & Nikolaou, Ioannis & Jones, Nikoleta & Malesios, Chrisovaladis & Dimitrakopoulos, Panayiotis G & Evangelinos, Kostantinos, 2018. "Community perceptions of local enterprises in environmentally degraded areas," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 116-124.

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